Hometeam field hockey: Warriors banding together again

Sticking to the time-honored principles of teamwork and talking, Nipmuc Regional, 7-4-1, is on track for another date in the postseason.

“At Nipmuc, we’re all about teamwork and before each game we meet and make sure we emphasize teamwork and its meaning,” senior captain Jessie Alibozek said.

Teamwork has worked in the past for Nipmuc, which won 12 games last season and qualified for the Central Mass. Tournament. This year’s team, which has a good mix of seniors, juniors and sophomores, started strong, winning its first four games.

“This is one of the most talented teams that I’ve played on,” senior captain Kaitlin Massey said. “Besides the defense, we communicate really well, and that’s always a key. But we do have to work on some little details, like getting our sticks down and making sure we’re covering everyone. Our coach (Sarah McIntyre) is the best. She’ll keep us playing together. She really knows the game.”

Massey, a defender, is a familiar name in Nipmuc field hockey circles. Kaitlin is the third Massey to serve as captain. Older sisters Erin and Michelle both went on to play college field hockey at Salve Regina after standout high school careers.

Alibozek, a midfielder, said that Nipmuc has been boosted by its commitment to defense, which goes beyond the physical.

“We have a great defense and I think what works really well for us is that we always cover for each other,” Alibozek said. “If one person gets beat, there’s always someone else there to cover for her. We play a lot of good teams, so we have to play the good defense and be there for each other.”

Senior captain Meaghan Roche, a goalie, said that Nipmuc has a nice mix of veteran players and newcomers who are getting better. The improving-each-game process has been helped by the fact that many girls have basically stepped in, and up.

“I like the way our team is playing — things are going really well,” Roche said. “And it should get better when we play the teams we already played and pick up on the mistakes that we’ve already made. There are still a lot of tough games on the schedule.”

The Warriors’ offense is led by junior forward Danielle Schiloski and junior midfielder Juliana Miccile, both top ten scorers in the Dual Valley Conference.

The Warriors battled Wachusett Regional to a 1-1 tie yesterday in a crisply played game dominated by defense.

“A tie is better than a loss, but a win would be a lot better,” McIntyre said. “This was a game that we could have won. There are things we need to work on. That’s what practice is for. Hopefully, we can fix those issues in practice this week and get some more wins.”

Bromfield coach Sue Silver is hoping that a hot second half will propel her graduation-depleted contingent into the Central Mass. Tournament, annually a sure bet for the hard-working Trojans.

Bromfield, which has moved from Mid-Wach D to the Wachusett A League, begins this week with a 4-5-1 record. That’s not bad considering the array of talented teams in the league, headlined by pace-setter Oakmont Regional, Littleton and Narragansett Regional.

“We have a tough schedule — every game has been a struggle,” Silver said. “We lost quite a few players and have had trouble scoring.”

Bromfield, which won its league last year and qualified for the postseason, had a strong 3-2 early-season win over Sutton, but has been beaten by Narragansett (twice), Lunenburg and Oakmont.

The Trojans are led by senior captains Haley Newsham, Laura Jarvis and Anna Lee.

Newsham has moved from center-midfield to sweeper, bolstering the defense. She has excellent stickwork, moves the ball and sees the field well. Jarvis plays right midfield and also has good stickwork. Jarvis uses her skills to launch a lot of shots and jumpstart the offense. The hard-working Lee plays left back and is consistent. Lee also helps out with younger players, coaching the middle school team in the winter.

Junior center-forward Gabby Doben is the team’s top scorer, totaling six goals and two assists. She is quick, skilled and handles the ball well, particularly on breakaways. Sophomore Colby Newsham, Haley’s sister, has moved into her sister’s former position at center-midfield. Colby has adapted well to her new role, switching from defense to offense, and sports good stickwork.